CRA reports strong online interest but low turnout for December 'Nights in Northwood Village'

Stephanie Swimmer, marketing coordinator for the West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, told the board Monday that the December installment of “Nights in Northwood Village” produced strong digital engagement but limited in-person attendance.

The quarterly event, designed to highlight Northwood Village businesses during nearby construction and support economic development, drew about 208 Eventbrite registrations and 748 interactions with the CRA’s Facebook ad campaign, Swimmer said. But actual attendance was “very low,” and only seven people completed the event survey.

The results matter because the CRA uses the event series to raise awareness about incentive programs and neighborhood projects and to collect community feedback. Northwood vendors, three grand openings (Seasons 401 Cantina, Ingress Gallery and Metamorphoses) and a holiday market were part of the December program; a short road closure on Northwood Road (Spruce to Broadway) was implemented for the event.

Swimmer said marketing materials included banners at Dixie and Northwood, flyers, window clings for merchants, rack cards highlighting CRA projects (including the SPRuSE and the district), and a Discover Palm Beaches calendar listing. The CRA gained 20 new CRA email subscribers from the outreach, she said.

Commissioners focused on why online interest did not convert into higher turnout. Swimmer cited severe wind and other bad weather on the event date, competing holiday events in the city and conflicting private holiday parties as likely reasons the physical turnout lagged behind online click-throughs. She said age of attendees skewed about 50–59 and most respondents were West Palm Beach residents.

Commissioners requested that staff coordinate event timing more carefully with other city and regional events and merchant schedules. Swimmer said staff will explore aligning holiday events into a tighter calendar block so residents can plan multiple nights in the same week, and that staff already coordinates with merchants when picking dates. Commissioners also suggested experimenting with survey incentives and “gamification” to raise response rates; Swimmer said the CRA had offered a raffle prize (a West Palm Beach food tour) but low attendance limited entries.

The board was told the series will continue on March 14 with a cultural appreciation installment of Nights in Northwood Village. Staff said they will present follow-up evaluation and proposed scheduling adjustments at future meetings.